A MUM-of-three has died from a fungal brain infection linked to dirty surgery kit.
Crystal Villegas, 31, contracted fungal meningitis after getting a boob job at a clinic in Matamoros in Tamaulipas, Mexico, in an attempt to save money.
She is one of 10 Americans who have died from the infection linked to two Mexican clinics, recent Centre for Disease Control figures suggest.
Juan Tapia, Crystal's husband, is urging other people not to get the cosmetic procedures done – and if they do, to do their research.
"I wish this was all just a bad dream that we could wake up from and go back to the day before the surgery and somehow, someway, convince her not to go," he said,
The social media star was receiving more treatment at the Valley Baptist Medical Center in Texas, US after she fell ill following the procedure.
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Juan, who is also a super featherweight boxer, confirmed that she passed away at around 6.30pm on July 30.
"It was a hard four months, she fought hard and never gave up," he said.
According her husband, Crystal regretted having the breast implant surgery and desperately wanted to see her three young children grow up and become adults.
"Those few months have been very difficult, very hard for me, but I am at peace that she is now resting," he added.
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In the days after undergoing the operation, the mum began to complain of a severe headache and her condition continued to worsen with a high fever.
After going to A&E, tests revealed she had meningitis.
Before she passed away, the boxer said his wife was “learning how to walk again, learning how to use the restroom again, how to talk again”.
He added: "Please, please be aware of the risks of cosmetic surgeries. Our hope is to spread awareness so that people can actually do the research."
Every year, over one million US citizens travel to Mexico for cheap cosmetic procedures at private clinics where safety protocols are often deficient to US standards.
Earlier in 2023, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised US residents to not undergo procedures in Mexico that involve epidural medication due to an “outbreak of fungal meningitis”.
As of July 28, the CDC was investigating 151 people who might have been exposed, 10 suspected cases, 14 probable ones and 10 confirmed, and nine deaths.
The new outbreak is thought to be due to contaminated epidural equipment, used in procedures such as a BBL or breast augmentations.
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Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord, causing a high temperature, headaches, a stiff neck and sensitivity to light.
It's usually spread by a bacterial or viral infection and one in 10 cases can be fatal, according to the NHS.
Symptoms of fungal meningitis
It can take weeks for symptoms of fungal meningitis to develop, and they may be very mild or absent at first.
Symptoms include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Stiff neck
- Nausea and vomiting
- Eyes being more sensitive to light (photophobia)
- Altered mental status, confusion
Source: CDC
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